He searched my reddened face a moment longer then, suddenly, I fell to the floor in a heap. I inhaled so hard that my throat itched and scratched and then I was both gasping and coughing, stopping only to gag. Saliva dribbled down my chin. The bridge of my nose began to tingle and my eyes watered. I whimpered, terrified.

Ettore, however, made his way back to the mirror. He straightened his jacket, then adjusted his cufflinks, peering emotionlessly at me through the reflective glass. “Now,” he began. “They’re expecting us.” His features darkened in time with his eyes. “I’m going to give you a moment. You’re going to get yourself cleaned up and you are going come out wearing a smile or, so help me God, I will carve one into your fucking face. Do you understand me?”

I lifted my hand to my burning throat, panting. My nod was weaker this time.

“Good,” he uttered without feeling. He attempted to lift his shoulder, but ended up wincing once more before posing, “I hope you achieved what you meant to, Vittoria.” He went to leave and my frightened eyes followed him all the way up to the door, where he paused, looked me up and down in disgust, then uttered a quietly stony, “My children were in that room.”

The cold fury that lined his voice…

I didn’t think I could feel worse than I did, but then he said that, and I was gutted all over again.

Alone, I curled up on the floor, hugging my knees to my chest. I don’t know how long passed before the door opened and Vincenza slunk into the room, casually, as if nothing happened.

“You knew he had children.” My throat burned as I croaked out the accusation. “You knew they would be there.”

I knew my sister was cold, but I don’t think I realized the extent of it until she went to the mirror, reapplied her lipstick, smacked her lips together and said, “Oh, boo-hoo. So what?”

What?

Who was this person?

Sickened by her response, I began to see my sister in a new light, and it wasn’t good. “You would have left them orphans?”

The second I said it, I wished I could rewind.

Her reaction was exactly as expected. “Are you fucking with me right now?” Her eyes blazed, she spun on me, then boomed, “He made us orphans.”

My stomach twisted. I turned my head to the side, meekly. I didn’t wish to argue.

A long moment of tension passed between us and then I heard her sigh. “Look. Things didn’t go as planned. It was messy. But, after thinking about it, this could still work for us.”

Oh God. No. No more. Please, just let me be.

Of course, I didn’t say that. Rather, I asked wearily, “How?